Homeland Security – Part 1
In this article we develop the first part of our reflections and recommendations on the strategic and tactical approach to the fight against crime by the "forces of order", taking advantage of all the resources of society.
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Need and difficulty for inter-agency collaboration
The document Police Information and Intelligence Systems issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC ) defines criminal intelligence as follows:
"The concept of "criminal intelligence" is not easy to explain or translate. Direct translation can have negative political and historical connotations in some parts of the world that make the word inappropriate in certain international contexts. As a result, it is often easier to speak of 'information' and, in fact, the terms 'information' and 'intelligence' are often used interchangeably." (sic)
"The definitions of what is meant by intelligence vary. Some say that intelligence is "information prepared for action," (actionable insights) while others maintain that it is "evaluated information." Others affirm that information is transformed into intelligence through an analytical process, while there is no lack of those who affirm that it is "important information, or of potential importance, for an inquiry or possible inquiry". What these definitions have in common is the idea that intelligence is a special type of information with additional value that can be recognized or assigned to it by some kind of analytical process. "Criminal intelligence" is simply any type of information with additional value that can be used by law enforcement officers to fight crime." (sic)
Law enforcement officers (the Police Departments at the service of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Judiciary) have powers and competencies that allow them to obtain and gather information and intelligence to store and use it in their own repositories, but there are also other sources of data held by public and private agencies and companies, with potential value for law enforcement and crime-fighting purposes. The collaboration of "law enforcement" with other agencies significantly increases the number of potential sources of information, improves the quality of the information available, and even, in some cases, collaboration with another agency or company is the only possible way to obtain a particular piece of information?
Law enforcement officers, especially police officers, are often more comfortable when they exchange information through "unofficial" personal networks that they consider to be faster and more efficient.? However, there are risks in this method of obtaining information without safeguards, without controls or established procedures, not to mention the question of admissibility in court of the information thus obtained. A properly and effectively functioning formal mechanism for information exchange mitigates these risks and removes the incentive for the investigator to "call a friend", allowing agents to act with confidence on the basis of information received through organic channels.
However, it is not always easy to establish partnerships for the exchange of information with other agencies, either at home or abroad. Sometimes this is due to legal obstacles that restrict the exchange of data (especially personal data), to misunderstood issues of zeal about the autonomy of units or agencies and/or to reasons of security or confidentiality. It is also often the case that, since potential partners pursue different objectives or operate in different areas of activity, the need and benefits of exchanging information with and between "law enforcement" are not clearly understood.
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The case of Uruguay
In Uruguay there are numerous public institutions that manage information of various natures characterized by its relevance to prevent, detect, avoid and repress fraud and crimes. These institutions operate in the area of security, headed by the Ministry of the Interior , and several units under the Ministry of the Interior: the Directorate of Internal Affairs, the National Rehabilitation Institute (INR), the National Directorate of Civil Identification (DNIC), the National Directorate of Migration, the Directorate of Coexistence and Citizen Security, the Centre for Attention to Victims of Violence and Crime (CAVID), the Unit for the Prevention of Abuse of the Elderly and the Security Cabinet.
Also in the orbit of the Ministry of the Interior is the National Police Directorate and numerous units under its command with intelligence and investigation responsibilities, such as the Departmental Police Headquarters, the National Highway Police Directorate (DNPCa), the National Fire Department (DNB), the National Directorate of Scientific Police (DNPCi), the National Republican Guard Directorate (DNGR),? the National Directorate of Rural Security (DNSR), the General Directorate of the Unified Command Center (DGCCU), the National Directorate of Business Supervision (DIGEFE), the Directorate of Investigation of the National Police (DIPN), and the Department of Security, to continue to cite only the main units in which relevant information is deposited, guarded and used to combat crime.
Likewise, the Directorate of Investigation of the National Police has several units, which also carry out intelligence, analysis and investigation functions, such as the General Directorate for the Fight against Organized Crime and Interpol (DGLCCOI), the General Directorate of Repression and Drug Trafficking (DGRTD), the General Directorate of Police Intelligence and Information (DGIIP), the General Directorate of Technological Support,? the General Directorate of Complex Facts, the Penitentiary Investigation and Analysis Unit (UIAP), the Cybercrime Unit (UC) and the Ports and Airports Surveillance Unit.
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As can be seen, there are numerous units within a single Ministry, which must capture, organize, store and retrieve useful information for crime prevention, detection and repression activities. But there are many other organizations of the State and even of private activity that, due to the nature of their activities, could also provide relevant and timely information for the fight against crime, such as the Attorney General's Office and the Judiciary in the first place, but also the General Directorate of Taxation (DGI), the National Directorate of Customs (DNA), the Social Security Bank (BPS), the Central Bank of Uruguay (BCU), the Bank of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (BROU) and the State Insurance Bank (BSE), to name the main ones.
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We can assume that the Ministry of the Interior, including all its specialized units, cannot count on all the existing information or intelligence on a given subject. The material collected and stored by such units may not be connected to each other (information "siloes") and this lack of integration and coordination severely impairs the results of police work. However, analysts and investigators can improve the situation by trying to obtain all available data on a given topic by drawing on information held by third parties, such as other units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, other public agencies or private companies. Information exchange is a reciprocal concept based on mutual advantages, in which information must circulate in both directions, adding value to the processes of all parties involved.
The creation of a legal framework and the processes derived from its regulation and implementation aimed at promoting mandatory collaboration to share information and intelligence among all public institutions would aim to open channels of communication between them, coordinating the information they handle in order to have a better understanding of the environment, a broad, clear, interconnected and secure landscape that allows law enforcement officers to detect, intercept and restrict illegal activities.
To this end, the adoption of standards in terms of the format of exchanges, and even, if possible, of analysis, intelligence and investigation tools would be extremely useful. Indeed, in recent years the use of police information and intelligence has been progressively refined. Police information systems, which were previously based on the collation of files by an archivist, have evolved with information technology to become departments that use special computer programs that enhance the skills of specialized professionals in the fight against crime: analysts and investigators. Intelligence techniques and methodologies have been developed to detect criminal threats, profile crimes or criminals, and identify connections that are not evident in huge data sets (Big Data). From a strategic and tactical point of view, it is now possible to have intelligence that allows the police to make more precise and easily justified decisions, making the best use of all the information available on each case.
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In our next installment (next week) we will analyze some paradigmatic examples of organizations from different countries, elucidating the ways in which they solved the need and convenience of standardizing formats and tools to integrate various sources of "criminal intelligence".
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Member of the World Council for a Safer Planet
Member of ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners)
Member of the i2 Group Global Advisory Board
Chief Compliance Officer (Quanam)
SME in Digital Transformation
Member of AUC (Uruguayan Association of Compliance)
Associate Member of WCA (World Compliance Association)
Member of CUGO (Uruguayan Circle for the Better Governance of Organizations)